NICE CATCH AT CORRENTE

I recall the part about the need for a Marshall Plan for Iraq but I didn't give it much thought. Corrente nails it:

At his photo-op with Jafari, Bush made the mistake of allowing himself to be asked a question by an actual journalist.

An Iraqi journalist.
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Anyhow, here's the question one of them asked Bush:


"When will you begin the reconstruction in Iraq?"


So, to an Iraqi, it looks like no reconstruction at all has taken place—a little reality therapy for our delusional President:


[The] question that seemed to take Bush, who has already sunk a couple of hundred billion dollars into the occupation, by surprise.


Hundreds of billions gone, and no evident results on the ground. What a clusterfuck.

Of course, there's the $8 billion that simply went missing (I wonder where?), but that's just a small percentage.

So, what did Bush answer:


"We are spending reconstruction money," Bush said. "But, you know, you need to ask that to the government. They're in charge. It's your government, not ours."


Nice example of passing the buck. And what does Jafari say? Show me the money! (which was doubtless the purpose of his visit)


That didn't satisfy Jafari, who stood beside the natty Bush in creased suit pants and well-worn tasseled loafers. "We hope that Mr. Bush will try to redo a Marshall Plan, calling it the Bush Plan, to help Iraq, to help the Iraqi people," he urged. "And this would be a very wonderful step." The president, by way of reply, said "Good job" and led the prime minister to lunch.

So after 363 tons of mostly 100 dollar bills, billions in private contracts, Iraq is still a mess.